Is pot use related to lower IQ in teens?

Pot use has now become a common recreational activity among teens who are more experimental, adventurous and tend to come under peer pressure. Also, teens take weed as an escape from the natural anxiety that they have. This phenomenon is a red flag in the sense that adolescent brains are still developing and consumption of weed could significantly hinder the growth of IQ levels that should happen in adolescence. 

Marijuana smokers have long been characterized as dimwitted and slow. There have been several studies conducted since the early 1960’s to examine the effect of pot usage on teenagers on various levels. 

A study that took more than 30 years to analyze the effect of pot on the development or decline of IQ levels among teenagers found that pot consumption permanently lowers intelligence or IQ. Frequent pot users, even after giving up on addiction later in life, were found to have deficits in memory, concentration, and overall IQ. Reduction in IQ was more pronounced in people who smoked pot heavily prior to age 18. It is believed to be an 8 point reduction at the lower level.

Effect of an 8-point reduction in IQ

An eight-point reduction in IQ has been proven to have a significant, negative impact upon one’s life. For illustration, consider those individuals who have an IQ of 110 and an average net worth of $71,000 and then the individuals with an IQ of 120 having an average net worth of $128,000. Just 10 points reduction in IQ could make a huge difference in the overall quality of life of the individuals.

Biopsychosocial factors

Some studies suggest that it’s not the use of pot alone that causes the decline in IQ in teens, but the other Biopsychosocial factors that come into play by the use of pot that do the real harm. For example, it depends on what the pot user is doing or not doing with his time (like pass out instead of studying) or the people he’s hanging out with (like-minded pals). What we derive from these studies is the fact that the brain of a heavy pot consumer is collectively affected by all these factors known as the Biopsychosocial factors.

Role of genes – IQ decline – Heavy pot users

Few Psychiatric illnesses are genetic and the onset of 50 percent of all psychiatric illnesses occurs by the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24.

Psychiatric illnesses are associated with recurring drug abuse among the teens. When these kids don’t get proper medical care at the time, they not only drink and do drugs more than other kids, they drop out of school, they hurt themselves, they have trouble holding a job and being good parents. they feel more physically deprived and have too many complaints as adults.

A study suggests that things that affect a Teenager’s brain include the child’s genes, his/her exposure, and what he’s subjected to as a child. Kids are learning all the time, directly and indirectly, and their brains are busy forming pathways, and pruning old pathways, based on patterns of exposure. Therefore, it has been observed that genes and the upbringing have a major impact on the IQ levels of adolescent pot users.

When adolescents expose their brains to an addictive substance like Marijuana, the effects aren’t just devastating but also are permanently etched into the brain. In fact, the reduction in IQ from smoking pot on a regular basis was much greater for those who started smoking as teenagers than those who started in adulthood.

Meier’s Study

Meier’s study on the effects of pot use on teenage IQ development emphasised that her results do not support the common misconception that any amount of weed use can immediately lead to IQ decline. On the contrary, Meier’s team found that short-term, low-level use did not have any effect on IQ; only heavy users suffered the negative effects. In this, the age of onset of cannabis use was critical, too.